Ginobili relishes second shot at being All-Star

LOS ANGELES — Back in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in six years, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili on Friday strode into a ballroom in the hotel complex across from the Staples Center. He weaved his way through a 10-deep maze of reporters and camera operators surrounding a table bearing only a placard that read: “Carmelo Anthony.”

An Internet report an hour before Friday’s All-Star interviews had Denver and New Jersey once again agreeing to a multiplayer trade centered on the Nuggets star and created a firestorm of activity.

Awaiting Ginobili were just seven reporters, most of them eager to ask questions in his native tongue, Spanish. The session seemed more like coffee talk than feeding frenzy.

Ginobili, the leading scorer on the NBA’s top team, had arrived in L.A. with a clear sense of his place among the game’s greats.

An All-Star? Certainly. A superstar? Perhaps not.

When it’s suggested, in English, that he belongs in this season’s NBA Most Valuable Player discussion with Derrick Rose, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the Spurs guard’s eyes widened as he issued an emphatic denial.

“I think there’s not one chance in a million that can happen,” Ginobili said. “We are more of a team, a whole group that plays hard together. That’s what makes us better. Come on. We’re talking about Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose and LeBron. They’re having amazing seasons and their teams are doing great — Kobe (Bryant), too. Of course, I appreciate the (mention), but I don’t think I deserve it.”

Nor does he deserve to be just the second All-Star forced to wait at least six years between appearances.

The West’s coaches added Ginobili to the All-Star roster for the 2005 game in Denver, and it coincided with Gregg Popovich’s first appearance on the West’s bench as head coach. As it was this season, Popovich’s spot then was secured because the Spurs had the best record in the West at the break on their way to their third NBA title.

Ginobili’s role that season as a catalyst for the Spurs’ offense was undeniable. His All-Star selection was an easy decision for the West coaches.

Injuries and circumstance took their toll on Ginobili’s game in the seasons that followed.

From the start of the 2005-06 season through the end of 2009-10, he missed 77 games with various ailments. In addition, a new role as the team’s off-the-bench energizer changed league-wide perception about him. He won the 2007-08 Sixth Man Award after averaging 19.5 points. Sixth men rarely earn All-Star spots.

After the coaches snubbed him in his most productive season, he believed his days as an All-Star had ended.

“I thought it was not going to happen again,” Ginobili said. “I’m 33 now, almost 34, and having this opportunity again is great.”

With the six-year absence came a greater sense of appreciation for the recognition that comes with being an All-Star.

“I don’t know what it says about my career,” he said. “I’m pretty happy with the way it is going, but it’s not something that’s easy to do. To do it again after six years is great.”

It’s Ginobili’s devotion to team goals that endears him to coaches, teammates and Spurs fans. Popovich understands he likely cost Ginobili his best opportunity for return trips to the All-Star Game by making him a reserve.

“He’s done his duty long enough and done what I’ve asked him to do because I thought it was best for the team,” Popovich said. “Maybe I was right, maybe I was wrong. It doesn’t matter. But at this point in his career, I thought he deserved to be a starter for no other reason than to be a starter.

“He’s a great player, one of the best in the world, and that’s why I did it. Just to show him respect.”

The ultimate team player, Ginobili appreciates the nod from the only coach for whom he has played in the NBA. The change helped him get back to the All-Star Game, but he remains comfortable in whatever is asked of him.

“It meant a lot at the beginning because I started the first few games with 33-34 minutes a game,” Ginobili said. “If I’m a backup, it’s going to be 28-29 minutes, so those five minutes are going to help. I knew I had more time to wait for my game, for my moment.

“Now, I’m going back to 30-31, but it’s not a big difference. I know I’m going to close games. I know he trusts me, so it’s no big deal.”

The big deal is winning titles, of course, and Ginobili is intently focused on that pursuit. He’s fully aware the Spurs’ position atop the league standings affords the best opportunity since their last title run in 2007.

Having the best record in franchise history after 56 games means nothing.

“We don’t want to be the team that had one of the greatest first halves of the season,” he said. “We just want to try to win the championship.”